Lifeline Northern Rivers answered almost 10,000 calls last year, which equates to about 28 calls a day.

The Lismore office is part of a national network of about 40 centres which picked up more than 540,000 calls in 2012.

But the reality is, more than a quarter of the calls made nationally go unanswered.

"We received about 780,000 calls last year, so there is a gap between what we answer and the amount of calls that are made and obviously we're working hard to close that gap by putting on more volunteers and working more efficiently."

With an ever-increasing demand, the service is calling on more people to consider becoming a volunteer.

The Northern Rivers centre manager Niall Mulligan said the demand is only set to grow.

"The projections are that in a couple of years, we'll be receiving one million calls a year which is a huge challenge for our organisation."

In a few weeks time, the centre will welcome new recruits.

Mr Mulligan said his centre needs to train 20 new crisis support assistants every year to maintain its volunteer database, which dwindles through attrition each year.

Lifeline asks new volunteers to contribute $500 to the estimated $2,500 cost of training a new recruit.

There are certain qualities management is looking for in applicants.

"The key is, be a good listener, be non-judgemental, obviously have a desire to help other people and I guess be patient," Mr Mulligan said.

"But volunteers, they don't come out of a cookie cutter. I love the diversity and the range of our volunteers which ideally reflects the diversity and the range of the people who call as well."

In mid-May, the Lismore centre will be one of four centres nationally that will pilot a new training program for volunteer recruits.

Its aim is to get people on the phones quicker.

The new system will see people answering calls within seven weeks, instead of the existing 13 week wait.

"The academic part will be shorter, but the practical elements and the mentoring and support will be increased.

"When people put their hands up to be volunteers, they respond really well to the idea of getting on the phones, that's really what they want to do."

But Mr Mulligan said people won't be answering calls before they're ready.

"There is a process by which we assess peoples' readiness and capacity to go on the phones."

The average call is 20 minutes, ranging from a quick referral to a lengthy conversation with someone at risk of suicide.

Matthew Moriarty's own life experiences sparked his interest in being a volunteer at Lifeline.

Homeless from the age of nine, he spent most of his young years growing up in boys homes and on the streets.

"One thing I can clearly remember is everyone over those years recommending that if I felt that I needed to, to call Lifeline," he said.

Despite not having a home, he put himself through a diploma in community services as a teenager and began his journey in the field.

While he said his own history helps him be more understanding when taking calls, he had to sort through his own issues before helping others.

"It certainly gives me a deeper understanding of the calls, I can relate to a lot of the issues, but I still get blown away by even going through the same issues, the uniqueness of each person's story and how strong our callers are and they don't even realise it."

Annette Twine is one of Lifeline's industry support supervisors.

She's also worked on the phones as a crisis supporter for six years.

She said Lifeline receives many other types of calls, on top of those from people who are feeling suicidal.

"We get domestic violence, we get people with mental health issues, people that are very lonely, relationship breakdowns."

The crisis supporter's role is to listen for suicide clues and make their caller feel supported.

Keeping Ms Twine motivated is knowing that she's picking up a call that may have gone unanswered if she wasn't at the other end of the line.

"It just makes me feel good when somebody that was going to kill themselves goes, 'look nah, I'm not going to now, I can see a light at the end of the tunnel'."

To find out more about becoming a volunteer, visit the Lifeline website.

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467. There is also support available via Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800 and MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978 or beyondblue on 1300 22 4636.